LSAT Explanation PT 43, S3, Q3: In an experiment, tennis players who

LSAT Question Stem

The situation described above most closely conforms to which one of the following propositions? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Strengthen question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The question type for this problem is Strengthen—Principle, which means we need to find the answer choice that best supports and explains the observed phenomenon in the passage.

First, let's break down the passage. The experiment involves two groups of tennis players with equal skills. Group 1 is told that their performance will be used to assess the quality of their rackets, while Group 2 is told that their tennis-playing talent will be measured. The result is that Group 1 performs much better than Group 2. The argument's structure consists of a premise (the experiment's setup and result) and a conclusion (the situation described conforms to a certain proposition).

Let's analyze the answer choices:

a) People do less well on a task if they have been told that they will be closely watched while doing it.

- This answer choice could explain the difference in performance between the two groups only if Group 2 was told they would be closely watched and Group 1 was not. However, the passage doesn't mention whether either group was told they would be closely watched. Thus, this answer choice doesn't provide enough support for the observed phenomenon.

b) People execute a task more proficiently when they do not believe their abilities are being judged.

- This answer choice aligns with the experiment's result: Group 1, who believed their abilities were not being evaluated, outperformed Group 2, who believed their abilities were being judged. This principle is also applicable to other situations, making it a strong candidate for the correct answer.

c) People perform a task more proficiently when they have confidence in their abilities.

- While this statement might be true in general, the passage doesn't provide any information about the confidence levels of either group of tennis players. Therefore, we can't conclude that the situation conforms to this proposition.

d) People who assess their talents accurately generally perform near their actual level of proficiency.

- The passage doesn't mention whether the tennis players judged their own talents, so we can't determine if the situation conforms to this statement.

e) People who think that a superior performance will please those who are testing them generally try harder.

- There's no evidence in the passage that either group thought a superior performance would please the testers. Additionally, trying harder doesn't necessarily equate to performing better. For these reasons, this answer choice is not correct.

Based on our analysis, the correct answer choice is (B): People execute a task more proficiently when they do not believe their abilities are being judged. This principle supports and explains the observed phenomenon in the passage, making it the best choice to strengthen the argument.